Mum 'gave away every last penny' to man she never met before passing away with cancer

Lindsey Heyes, from Eccleston, passed away in July aged 45, after being diagnosed with breast cancer and then terminal thymus cancer.

The weeks leading up to her death were extremely difficult, her daughter Kayleigh explains, as not only was she leaving behind three children, but she had "pushed away" much of her family due to a relationship she had formed online.

This relationship, Kayleigh says, was instigated around three years ago on an online dating site, with a man who claimed he was serving in the US Army.

Lindsey Heyes is said to have sent more than nine thousand pounds to a man she had never met (Image: Kayleigh Heyes)

Kayleigh, 21, said: "My mum started talking to this man online after splitting up with her long-term partner.

"She was a vulnerable woman as she was deaf and a recovering drug addict, and also didn't have the custody of her three kids - but she was starting to get her life back on track.

"But this man took advantage of her and her situation, saying that he would marry her and get her life back.

"She never met him but he sent her photos and some documents, which we believe are fake. She talked to him every day and believed what he said - she loved him."

The Steam Wallet Gift Cards that Lindsey had purchased (Image: Kayleigh Heyes)

After developing their relationship online, the man - whose identity we have chosen not to reveal due to ongoing fraud claims - began asking Lindsey to buy him Steam Wallet Gift Cards from local gaming shops in St Helens.

The cards began as a small favour, Kayleigh said, with a value of around ten pounds, but as their relationship progressed, her mum had purchased hundreds of them - with many having a value as high as one hundred pounds.

Steam Wallet Gift Cards are genuine gift vouchers for gamers, which enables people to convert monetary value into online cash or tokens, which can then be used to purchase games or software on the online store.

However, once a scammer receives the value from the Steam card, they can then sell this data on to gamers online.

The Steam gaming website states that they have seen "increasing reports of scammers" coercing victims to purchase their gift cards, while Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, has received 71 reports of the scam since the start of last year.

Kayleigh said that the man asked her mum to do similar things with Amazon gift vouchers, with a frequent excuse that the Army "doesn't allow them to transfer a lot of money".

As the family has been going through Lindsey's belongings following her death, they estimate that she has sent more than nine thousand pounds to a man she had never met.

The Amazon gift cards that Lindsey had accumulated (Image: Kayleigh Heyes)

Kayleigh, a general assistant at Sainsburys, added: "My mum never had a lot of money but she spent every last penny on these gift cards.

"She lost contact with a lot of the family because she started asking and begging them for money.

"She pushed everyone away but still believed this person was genuine and that he was going to come and see her."

Messages from the man to Kayleigh, after her mum stopped responding to him (Image: Kayleigh Heyes)

While Lindsey was going through chemotherapy, Kayleigh said that she was still sending this man money and gift cards, and did not tell him the seriousness of her condition.

The family only realised the true extent of their relationship after Lindsey passed away and they now want to share the story to ensure others are not scammed in a similar way.

Kayleigh added: "My mum never had a lot of money and we never expected much as kids, but the fact that she was giving the little money that she did have to a man she had never met really hurt us.

"It was difficult towards the end of her life as she was still sending him money but we had to come together as a family and support her.

"She gave away every last penny she had and was scammed out of every last penny she had.

"We wish we could have done more but she wouldn't listen, and now we want to raise awareness of this in my mum's memory."

Kayleigh said her mum gave away "every last penny" before her death (Image: Kayleigh Heyes)

Action Fraud confirmed they have received Kayleigh's report and are investigating the claim.

The organisation stated that people should be suspicious of any requests for money from someone you have never met in person, particularly if you have only recently met online.

They also advise the public follow the advice of their Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign to keep themselves safe from fraud.

• Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
• Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
• Protect: If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.